Chapter 61 / Thread

July 27th, 2012 / Evening
Ramen Shop - Tsukuhime

KANA'S POINT OF VIEW

The sun was setting. It had been so long since the others had gone into that place called the Midnight Stage. And yet there was nothing that any of us could do. The girls of Kanamin Kitchen, and Kayane-san were all in danger. No, they had to be close to saving everyone by now, right? The longer they were gone, the harder it would be to hide that they were missing. The public would be easier to hide from but Narukami's Uncle Dojima and the young girl Nanako wouldn't buy those kinds of answers. It was why the truth had been told to Tsukio Nanase. There was no way to hide that her son, Ikakure Kayane was missing. It would also help to have someone in the Producer role of the LMB festival to be able to hide the truth.

Lying, I didn't feel good about it. But the truth definitely would have the public in a panic. The truth of Shadows and Persona was not something that was easy to explain, and not something that could ever be conceivably accepted on a national level. I had only realized this thanks to Mitsuru-sama and her providing me with the education and tutors to be as knowledgeable as the others. I've worked hard to try and catch up with the others and so that oneesama wouldn't have to worry about me in the future. It was impossible to know if I had made any progress on any front. I was mostly self-reliant now. Doing jobs as a model on my own, without needing oneesama there with me was a step forward for sure.

Having spent a lot of the day around Takura Productions studio and keeping Kanami focused elsewhere along with Narukami's Uncle busy was probably only going to extend so long. If I were to guess, he already suspected that something was up with the situation. Nanako was happily spending time with Kanami. Kanami seemed to really enjoy the company as well.

"Relax, Kana. No point in dwelling on it," Hamuko, my sister, sat next to me and playfully nudged me. "Your pork ramen isn't going to eat itself you know."

I stared down at the bowl of ramen and swirled its contents with my chop sticks, "I know, Oneesama. But just thinking that the fake Shadow has a hold on Kayane after all that has happened. I want to save him, but we're stuck here."

"It's frustrating, I know," Hamuko said before she then slurped down some ramen. "But we can't help if we aren't ready. And you won't be much of a help if you're suffering from hunger pangs you know."

"I realize that," I sighed after a moment.

Hamuko giggled a bit from next to me which had me looking at her, wondering why she would do that now of all times.

"Not long ago you wouldn't have cared what happened to anyone outside of me. But now you've grown close to so many people. I was worried for a while that maybe you wouldn't allow yourself to grow, that you would try to latch onto my side forever. Not that I would have minded it but I wanted you to see much more to life. A real chance for you to be human and live a normal life. You've done so well with learning from the tutors, managing your job and work as a Shadow Operative between it all. Plus making time to visit and worry about your friends, like Kayane. He's our cousin and despite us only knowing him for a short time you've allowed yourself to become attached and weigh him as an important part of your life. These are the kinds of bonds I wanted you to experience. Although, not nearly as difficult or painful as it has been," Hamuko spoke in a hushed tone as for the others not to hear our discussion. "I guess that is just how it goes with the people linked to Persona and Shadows. We don't have the luxury of hiding from who we really are."

I mulled over my sister's words for an extended moment, "Is that what Kayane did differently? Was he hiding from who he really was?"

"Hmm? Are you guys talking about Kay-chan?" Nanako came walking overhearing a name she recognized.

"Oh Nanako-chan? Do you mean Kayane?" I asked her.

"Mm hmm! But he gave me permission to call him Kay-chan, just like his Mom does. He also told me that I was his first fan! I can't wait to see him and Rise-chan perform!" she smiled clearly envisioning those two together.

"You must be close with them. I'm kind of jealous," Kanami approached and the two girls took the seat across from us at the booth we were sitting at. "I'm told that Kayane-san and I met when we were younger. I can't remember for the life of me though. Maybe it was when I first auditioned for Takura Productions..."

Kanami seemed to hesitate and looked, confused for a moment.

"Onee-chan?" Nanako looked concern. And seemed to start calling her big sis. The two must have really connected today.

"My audition... Wait... did I do an audition?" Kanami grabs her head, wincing from what looked to be a sharp pain.

"Are you okay, Kanami-san?" I quickly asked her.

"Owie owie owwww... This happens sometimes," she shook it off. Kanami saw the concerned look on her faces and started shaking her head. "It's fine, fine, I promise."

"Are you sure?" Nanako seemed unconvinced.

"Yep! No worries," she nodded. "Oooh, look Nanako-chan! Our ramen is here!"

A waitress did place the bowls in front of the girls and so I looked down at my own and then using my chop sticks took a bite from my own. For a bit there was just the sound of us eating.

"This is so good! I'm glad we came here," Nanako smiled brightly. "Um, Hamuko-chan, are we going to be able to see Kay-chan before he shows?"

"For sure," she nodded. "But you know it's difficult to put on a show this big. And it will be his first one. And I know it is important to him. He's worked hard on his music, to really convey a message and feeling and let the audience go on a journey with him and Rise-san. You know how hard he's worked for this, right?"

"Mm hmm! He's worked super hard. He said conveying the message through music and dance in a performance is really hard," Nanako said.

"That's right... It's not easy. Even Yuko-san..." Kanami started but then stopped, her eyes widened. "Eh? What did I just-" It happened very quickly, Kanami clutched her head once more. But this time it looked worse... she slipped out from the booth and collapsed to the ground. Hamuko was first to move and then Dojima-san. Things seemed to be chaotic and all I could do was watch. It was Yukari who took control with a phone call. Not long after, a group of people showed up and simultaneously handled Kanami and the potential of others figuring out who it was that collapsed. I suppose it was natural for public relations to be a concern. Something that Yukari was familiar with.

When it was all settled down, Kanami had been sent back to Takura Productions with a medical team. Mitsuru had made the arrangements to keep it from reaching the eyes and ears of the media that one of the star performers of the festival had collapsed. But it was after that when Hamuko and I were approached by Dojima.

"Nanako was allowed to stay with Kanami, which I'm fine with, but that being said, I want to know the truth. What is going on?" Dojima Ryotaro was a detective, it only made sense that he would quickly figure it out. Plus, he had also more or less figured out the case of the serial kidnapping and murders without knowing the supernatural side of the case.

I shared a look with Hamuko, she took charge.

"Can I ask you how much you know of the truth? Of how the serial murders were committed in Inaba, or the method in which the culprit was ultimately caught?" Hamuko asked him straight out.

He paused, "Are you saying that something similar to that incident is happening here? And that my nephew got caught up in all of it again?"

"Would you truly be surprised at your nephew doing what he could for those he cared about? Especially knowing how far he has gone to do that in the past?" Hamuko countered.

"So, you're aware of what happened then?" Dojima sighed. "If it is all the same to you, I want to know."

"Fortunately, I am authorized to tell you of the situation," Hamuko stated and turned away from him. "The rest of the members of Kanamin Kitchen have gone missing. Along with Ikakure Kayane."

"Kayane?" Dojima was quickly concerned. "But, no. They aren't missing, are they? You know precisely where they are."

"And it as you suspect. Your nephew and his friends went to rescue them. We have a decent idea of how it is all connected too. There are other worldly powers at play, things caused by the unconscious mind and the people that have suffered in the past. In this case, revolving around the death of one, Osada Yuko. An idol that had made an impact on so many young girls. Many of which sought to become idols themselves in response. Among them was Mashita Kanami."

"I see, so what happened with Kanami is..."

"-Likely her beginning to remember the truth," it was Arisato Isako, approaching. "We've done some preliminary scans and from what we can tell, she is on the verge of connecting it all in her mind. I would wager it has only ever been a matter of time since she reunited with Kayane. After all it was the two of them that had discovered the body of Osada Yuko. Forgive the intrusion. I'm Arisato Isako, assistant to Kirijo-sama and a part of the Shadow Operatives in which these two as well as Kayane himself are a part of."

"The Shadow Operatives? I think I've heard a rumor about them. Some new hidden branch in the police force that people haven't been too happy about," Dojima scratched his head before reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out a cigarette. Since we were standing outside on a relatively now empty road it was good enough place as any for the man. He lit the cigarette and turned to exhale the smoke away from us. "So, it's all connected, and this is part of why the festival was extended a day? To give them more time and to increase your ability to hide it from the public eye."

"Narukami said you would likely put it together on your own if we tried to hide it from you. He suggested very strongly to instead tell you the truth if you started asking any questions. You have quite the strong-willed nephew, Dojima-san," Isako smiled a bit.

"Isn't it a bit strange that he is the one going off to do the rescuing instead of someone from your group?" Dojima asked pointedly.

"I agree with you," Isako said. "But when it was Ikakure Kayane that is missing, do you think they would let us stop them? The situation is abnormal, even among our abnormalities we deal with. To be honest, they are better prepared for the skills needed than most of the Shadow Operatives."

"I'll take your word for it. While I am concerned that my nephew has stepped into another dangerous situation, I trust his judgement. He's more than proved his ability in the past, along with his friends," Dojima said without hesitation and a bit of pride.

I had seen Narukami Yu and his actions in person. Granted that was during the events involving the fake Shadows and Minazuki Sho so I don't know all he had done, but he had a lot of power and the others certainly trusted him, Kayane included. But still, Hamuko and I were out here while the others were on the rescue, and we had no way to know what was happening. We could only hope that Fuuka had figured out some sort of way to create communication into that Midnight Stage.

We all traveled back to Takura Productions and went to where they were looking after Kanami. Nanako was sitting in a chair outside of the room. She got up the moment she saw us and her Father approaching.

"Hey Nanako. Do they have her resting?" Dojima asks.

She nodded, "They said she was just exhausted, so they made her comfortable on the couch inside. So, I wanted to give her some peace and quiet."

"Nice job Nanako. I'm sure Mashita appreciates you watching out for her," Dojima smiled and patted his daughter on her head. He looked over at Isako, "Does your people-"

"AHHHHHHH!" I horrified scream came from in the room.

No a moment of hesitation we all rushed into the room with Kanami but all we found was an empty room with her belongings from the idol's purse scattered over the ground.


July 27th, 2012 / Evening
Midnight Stage - Edit Bay

RISE'S POINT OF VIEW

After we entered the room, I recognized it from the times I had been here for one reason or another. More recently was when Kayane was using it. He had been doing so to help with a specific song that wasn't related to Synchronicity, but instead for Kanamin's Kitchen.

"This song..." Yu commented as we all could hear that familiar song that the eerie voice had been using to rile up the Shadows.

"Tch...! The hell!? Are there Shadows in here!?" Kanji was looking around. I glare at him as I had already made it clear that there was nothing in her before.

"It's all right. Stand aside," Ochimizu walked up to the equipment and shook her head. "As I thought. This is only a playback of a recording."

"All those dressing rooms, and now this place... Where are we really?" Chie wondered outloud.

"Good question. But I can guess as to why these are all rooms found at Takura Productions," Ochimizu stated as she clicked a few keys and the music stopped playing. "A few days after Yuko passed away. I went to the police to collect her belongings. However, there was one item I couldn't find anywhere. Not at her home, not at the agency, nowhere."

"Huh...? What are you talking about?" Chie asked.

"What you all wish to know. This item was something I gave to Yuko as a gift on the day she got her first gig. Yuko was so pleased, she set the combination to 1324, hers and my birthday combined. She carried it everywhere she went. It was her diary. You've seen pieces of it in those dressing rooms," Ochimizu explained. So the dressing rooms and the paper seemingly ripped out of a notebook were out of the diary of Osada Yuko. "And one other thing, resuming the discussion we were having outside. It's about the eerie song that's been playing constantly in this world. You said that you don't know what it is, no?"

"Huh? Well, duh. We heard it for the first time when we got here," Kanji stated as if it were obvious.

"True, but at the same time, you already know what that song is," Ochimizu said, glancing to me.

Oh, of course. If it was all connected to Osada Yuko... then it had to be.

"Calystegia. The song that Yuko-san left behind," Yu said after making the connection.

I closed my eyes for a moment, of course it was, "I knew it sounded familiar, but I have only heard it a couple times while Kayane was working..."

Ochimizu nodded, "That's right. It was Yuko's last song."

"Wh-Whoa, wait a sec! You expected THAT to become a hit single!? I mean, it sounds so..." Yosuke shook his head.

"Of course, it doesn't work as a song in this state. You're hearing it reversed, after all," Ochimizu told the others.

"Yeah, it's why I had a hard time placing it," I spoke up. "Kayane would have noticed it right away."

"Yes, your boyfriend does seem to have quite talented ears just as Nanase has told me. But I'm also quite familiar with the song, so I noticed it at once. If I reversed the track being played here, it would be the original Calystegia," Ochimizu starts pushing some things on the equipment. "Like so."

But when the song plays... even in its correct way I notice something off. "Hold on, something isn't right about this. The vocals are off. Ochimizu-san, is this really the song Yuko-san left behind?"

She looked to the ground, "You're right, Osada Yuko isn't singing this."

"Then who is it?" Yukiko asked.

"The singer is... a girl who was at the studio auditioning on the day of Yuko's suicide. She along with another individual were the ones who found Yuko's body." Ochimizu says.

"So it's true then," I said after hanging my own head.

"This girl lost her memories of the incident from the shock of what she saw. Ironically, it was just after passing her audition. It was only because of the boy that was with her that I knew who it was. I suspect that she is the voice ruling over this world. If that voice's owner is indeed the one who created this world then it is no surprised that there are dressing rooms and an edit bay from the Takura Productions that she knows. And Yuko's lost diary is most likely in her possession," Ochimizu continued. "I noticed something odd recently. No matter how many times I brought up Calystegia or Yuko, she would never remember by the next day. At first I thought she was doing it as a joke, but that didn't seem to be the case. Even now, she's consistently denying what happened to Yuko."

It all fit together, "So that was what was occupying Kayane's mind recently." The other's looked to me.

"What is it, Rise?" Naoto asked.

"He said there was a unique problem he was having when helping Kanamin's Kitchen. I thought it was just related to the music and he never really elaborated on it. But this is what it was. It's because she would keep forgetting the work, they had done the previous day. It was Mashita Kanami, she was having continued problems when working on the song," I voiced it outloud.

"Ehehe... You all figured it out?" a voice spoke, and then an appearance showed on all the monitors of the room. Of course, it all made perfect sense. This world was created and run by Kanami's Shadow. "Mornin', everyone! I sleep off every meal! I'm your Mashita Kanami! I can't believe you told them about that Ochimizu-san. You weren't kidding about dissolving our bond."

"Seriously? So the one who dragged those girls and us in here, the one who released the video onto the LMB site, the mastermind behind all this..." Yosuke shook his head.

Shadow Kanami giggled, "Yep, that would be me! It's such a shame. The Kanamin Kitchen girls, and Ochimizu-san too. They're all gonna abandon me. But that's okay, the one who's always been there to protect me is still here. Kayane-senpai, just like back then, he took all of that so I wouldn't have to remember."

"Kanami! Stop this! No matter how much you struggle, you can't do anything about it now!" Ochimizu-san.

"It's Kanami-san's Shadow..." Naoto voiced what the others were likely realizing now.

"Shadow? What do you mean?" Ochimizu glanced to Naoto.

"It's all your fault you know?" the Shadow said. "Meeting Kayane-senpai, and telling us we knew each other in the past, it was only a matter of time before I made the connection of where and when I had met him."

"I see, so the real Kanami remembered the truth. That she and Kayane met and the discovery of Yuko-san's body," Naoto surmised.

"Wait, what do you mean? Are you not Kanami!? Where is she really!?" Ochimizu was understandably confused at the turn of events.

"Haha, you're losing your head, Ochimizu-san. C'mon, it's you who always said how important it is to stay in character. Well, fine. I'll make this one exception. Wanna see what Kanami's doing right now...?" Shadow Kanami's image disappeared and replaced by that of the real one. She looked to be in a room back at Takura Productions in the real world. She is... looking at a diary? I see, it must be Yuko's. It was clear that she was remembering the truth of her connection to Kayane, and what happened that day of her audition. Then, the same ribbons appeared around her and...

"You dragged Kanami-san into the Midnight Stage!" Yu was angry.

Shadow Kanami giggled, "You're absolutely right. But that was inevitable, wasn't it? She was alone, easily replaceable, unable to express herself... and had no bonds. Poor Kanami. She didn't remember anything but then she had to get all worried about Kayane-senpai, and she kept poking and prodding her own memory until she opened the diary. Now it's all come back to her. I was going to invite her here anyway, but because of that it was an easy pull. Although you all had a part to play in it too. All those rooms you found; those were places she created to lock away her memories. And there you went opening them and speculating on what you found within. You brought out all the memories she wanted to erase but couldn't. After all, I exist within Kanami. That's why this world I've created is affected by her heart as well. Haha, but I made sure to keep it hidden, you know? But you just had to keep provoking me, intent on conveying your bonds to her... didn't you?"

"Whoa, wait... So, this whole time we were tryin' to show you what a real bond is... It was settin' off this Kanami chick's memories..." Kanji eyes widened.

"Haha... that's right. Ahh, poor Kanami. There was no way she could have faced up to any of this. But she just had to try and do her best to help you all, because you called her a friend. Because Kayane and Rise-senpai treated her as an equal and helped her. Didn't stop her from getting hurt, though," Shadow Kanami laughed.

"Stop laughing! You're the one who started all this by kidnapping Kanami-chan's friends! All we wanted to do was rescue them!" Chie called out.

"Rescue? Ahahahahahah...! Of course, you did, and this is what you get. You still don't see? What you did only hurt Kanami in the end. That's why I kept bringing it up. Showing your true self only ever ends up hurting people," Shadow Kanamie was persistent.

"No, that's not true," Ochimizu stepped towards one of the monitors with the image of Shadow Kanami on it. "If nothing else, these children saved me. I understand now, and I'm certain the same is true for those girls. If they hadn't come for us, we would've been swept up in your bonds and danced here for all eternity. What these children showed us wasn't for nothing! Kanami, true bonds do exist!"

Shadow Kanami then shows a face of utter disgust, "What bullshit... You're playing into this farce too, Ochimizu-san? What a frickin' letdown... We don't need that shit here... All this cheap friendship crap is so shallow I could puke."

"Wh-What the!? Kanami-chan suddenly got... angry," Teddie was surprised.

It wasn't the only thing that suddenly changed, whatever it was... it wasn't just the Shadow of Kanami.

"Are you... really Kanami?" Ochimizu had picked up on the change as well.

"Who cares about that?" the image of Kanami's Shadow dismissed the question. "I've got something more interesting to talk about. I did go to the trouble of bringing Kanami here, after all. Why don't I put in a little more effort to make this truly grandiose!?"

The world began to shake again, this time even more violent than before. I summoned Inahime again and it kept me standing upright despite the tremors being much worse than before. This happened when she changed the world before, so it had to be something like that.

"This next place will sure please all of you," The Shadow of Kanami laughed until it seemed to fade away. The shaking stopped.

"Do you think she prepared a stage for Kanami like the other girls?" Kanji asked as he got to his feet.

Naoto shook her head, "Doubtful, if the entirety of the Midnight Stage has already been affecting the real Kanami then there isn't a point in doing something like that. Plus, her wording of grandiose likely means she aims for a much bigger influence."

"Another thought... when she talked about Kayane, do you think she was referring the real one?" Yukiko asked.

"Ah... or the fake Shadow of him..." Yu thought. "Hard to say, but I think she meant the real one. She said it was the one who had protected her back then after all."

"I don't really understand what is going on now, but clearly all of you do," Ochimizu looked to me. "I thought that Kayane would have told you all this before. About his connection to Kanami, but he played dumb."

"Intentionally, yeah. It's so like him," I sigh thinking of Kayane. "He's spent his whole life not trusting anyone. Thinking that the best way to move through life was to keep quiet. He thought that people being worried about him was a bad thing. It's hard to break habits like those, even with all of the things the two of us have gone through and done together to get where we are in our relationship. But it is because of who he is that I..."

I stopped realizing I was saying more than I had intended. The others were all looking at me and they were all smiling. So was Ochimizu.

"You really love him, don't you? I can see it," Ochimizu looked thoughtful. "Alright, I'll head back and collect all the girls. Better to have them all in one place. After that we'll come back here. You guys can keep moving forward. Seems like you all have the best chance to rescue both Kanami and Kayane."

"Leave it to us," Yu said. "Kayane is important to all of us here. He brought perspective to things a lot of us never thought of. We always pressed forward because of what we believed to be right, but it was thanks to him that we realized that you can't just make someone believe in your way of doing things. That it takes effort and persistence, and an ability to show someone why it's important. He needs our support, just as much as we need him. That's why we will definitely save both Kanami and Kayane."

We leave the edit bay and split from Ochimizu shortly after. And sure enough, a new path had been created. As we walked the scenery changed to that of the decorations and theme of the Love Meets Bonds festival itself. The path looked to be leading to the stadium where the main stage of the festival was and where Synchronicity and Kanamin's Kitchen were supposed to perform. The Shadow had recreated all this... or had exerted a massive amount of power to pull in the real stage. The sky was above us, but it was nighttime, a familiar star filled night and moon were the backdrop.

"We've been in here all day. Good thing I got energy to spare," Kanji said as we all moved forward.

"If it hadn't been for our training and time in the TV world then we all likely would have collapsed from exhaustion by now," Naoto and the others didn't look all that spent either. Me included.

"Well, consider it this way. Normally in the TV world we use our Persona's often to fight Shadows. But here it amplifies the ability to communicate and express yourself, so even if using our Persona to amplify what we convey it is still significantly minor compare to us going through any floor of something filled with Shadows over there," Yu brought up a good point.

"I suppose I've been the only one that has been using her Persona consistently, but honestly because of the way this world works, it takes little effort to do anything I've been doing here. Amplifying the music or connecting us to talk has taken up no energy at all. I still feel just as energetic as when we got here," I spoke up.

"Though I am getting a little hungry," Yosuke noted as we all kept walking.

"Well, I'm sure no one will mind us going out to get a bunch of food once we rescue those two," Yu chuckled.

"So sure of victory are you? Even as you are approaching unknown territory. It baffles me on whether you all have endless courage or are all absolute morons with no thought of self-preservation," the fake Shadow of Kayane stood in front of us to block our path. "It seems you've figured out the truth of the situation. But perhaps I shouldn't be surprised considering what you all have accomplished in the past."

"Does that mean you have Kayane up ahead as well?" Yu acted as vanguard, placing himself between us and him.

"Of course, he was always on this stage, waiting for you all to arrive here. Though the venue has taken some renovations to accommodate the goals of Kanami. In a way, this place is a product of Kayane's actions. He had the ability to ensure Kanami remembered the events of the suicide of Osada Yuko. He had more sway over the young Kanami than most of the adults. But when he realized that the girl remembered nothing, he changed his story. Tried to protect her from remembering. And he then started avoiding the poor girl. This is despite him seeing her several times over the years," the Shadow laughed.

I blinked, "Several times? You mean, this wasn't them being reunited after all?"

"Oh it's been about a year and a half since he last saw her. Not that Kanami would know. Tsukio Nanase still acts as a consultant, and Kayane would, on occasion, travel with her. But he would always busy himself elsewhere. So, I'm sure even those that knew the connection couldn't have pieced it together. Kayane is a skilled liar after all. Even convincing therapist and psychologist that all was fine in his head. But oh, how wrong they are," the Shadow was amused. "I mean, look at all Kayane refused to trust you with."

I shook my head, "You're wrong about Kayane. Him not telling me about all this is not a sign of him not trusting me or any of us. He is just afraid, just as he has always been, since the beginning. You can't fool me with words."

"It matters not to me what you believe. Or any of you for that matter. The only one that has ever mattered is Kayane himself. He is the one that holds the key to all of this. So tell me, do you think you can get through to him? Do you think you can stop him from denying himself?" The Shadow smirked and laughed as he quickly disappeared.

"What!?" I rushed forward to where the Shadow had stood. "Come back here!"

"He's gone Rise-chan," Naoto was at my side and placed a hand on my shoulder. "He clearly was trying to get to you."

Even still I stared down the path at our destination, thoughts consuming me at what awaits us, "What could they have done to him? They can't use violence against him so there has to be some other method to get to him."

"To be honest, I don't think violence is effective against Kayane-senpai anyway," Yosuke said with some hesitance. "They knew what they were doing when they were using this world. That fake Shadow of Kayane is definitely different that Shadow Kanami. She seems uninterested in what those have to do, as long as they don't interfere with what she is doing."

"If anything, it might even align or help her own cause," Naoto said pulling her cap down a bit as she did so.

"Maybe long exposure to that song, them twisting things using the power of this world. Nothing has been as we have known it to be in the past. The Shadows are so different," I said as I just found it so hard to fathom a world like this, that could increase the effectiveness of words and expression. I couldn't begin to dream of how it could be used to twist and distort an individual's view of the world.

"The Shadows we've encountered here so far were forcefully pulled from the people who watched the video on the LMB site. Compared to the Shadows we fought in the past, these ones are somewhat anomalous." Naoto said.

"You know, that's true. The Shadows we're used to took the form of the parts of us we don't want to admit, that we buried inside us. When they came out in the TV world, they'd talk nonstop to the point where it got obnoxious. Always going on and on about things we never wanted anyone else to find out about," I recalled all the times I had seen Shadows manifest back then. Yu and the others knew this better than I did. But it was something none of us would forget.

"I had the sense that the more they were denied, the more power they got as they came at their actual self. I don't really like to think about it," Yukiko said.

"I don't deny it anymore, but it's still tough to say I'd accept it with open arms," Kanji admitted.

"Uh, leaving aside these bitter memories of our youth. I don't think that there is any doubt that it is Kanami's Shadow. What bothers me more is the fake Shadow saying that Kayane is going to deny himself," Yosuke said, bringing my thoughts back into focus. "I mean we all know, including Kayane what it means to deny our Shadows. But there is no way that thing is his real Shadow so what good would it even do him?"

"That's the problem," I spoke up as a thought occurred to me. "We don't know what it will do for him. But we can only assume it is a method in which he can take Kayane's power. Think of it this way... he may not be Kayane's true Shadow, but it is obvious he has power over other Shadows. So, he might be looking to take over his Shadow after forcing him to deny himself."

"Yes, that is likely the most plausible explanation. Motives aside we should move forward assuming that is what he is planning. Which means we should do all we can to stop it from happening. But, it's hard to say what we'll find ahead," Naoto stepped down the path ahead of me then turning, she gave me a glance that showed the determination in her eyes. "Come on, we can do this."

I know that it wasn't going to be easy. Kayane had been cutting himself again. There had been a lot of indications that there were definitely things he wasn't telling me. I knew all of that. And on top of that, this world increased influence on expression and words, things that greatly affected Kayane. I wasn't going to give up hope, but I knew it would be an uphill struggle. This wasn't just about getting to Kayane, it was about getting through to him. Worst of all... I had a sinking feeling in my stomach that we were already too late.


July 27th, 2012 / Late Night
Midnight Stage

RISE'S POINT OF VIEW

It was a perfect replica of the stage for the Love Meets Bonds festival. What we see when we arrive is the real Kanami wrapped in ribbons and held up in the air, while Shadow Kanami stood nearby. However, standing nearby was also the fake Shadow of Kayane as well as the other Shadows he seemingly controlled. Including the fake Shadow of myself. Then there was the fake Shadows of Hamuko and Minato behind them. Those four seemed content to watch what was happening. But for the moment... Kayane was nowhere to be seen.

"Well that was faster than I expected," the Shadow Kanami turned to us as we all stopped on the stage, opposite of them. "Too bad for you that Kanami's already made up her mind. And guess what? Her performance is about to start."

"That's right... I can't sing. Without bonds, it won't reach anyone. But if I am the me that my fans want, then they'll connect with me," Kanami is muttering from where she hung in the ribbons, her eyes looked empty. Was that part of the ribbons effect? "Everyone... Rise-senpai, Kayane-senpai. I know I'm hopeless. I always let you down."

"That isn't true Kanami!" I called out.

"But I... it's impossible for me... I can't do anything... There's nothing good about me. I remember everything now. I admired Yuko-san. I was never good at socializing. Even when there were people around, I was alone. But Yuko-san's songs encouraged me. They made me think, 'If I could be like her.' But when Kayane-senpai and I found her body..."

"It's never too late, Kanami-san! You can be that!" Yukiko said.

"I want to, but I can't! I mean, just look how she ended up! I don't even know how to show my true self. I'm scared of being hated, of making mistakes! I don't even know how to get close to anyone. I want a bond so bad that there's no way I can sing about them. I can't be like Yuko-san!" Kanami shook her head.

"You're wrong, kanami-san," Yu stepped forward. "If you want a bond, then all you have to do is show people that. Even if you have no bonds right now, keep telling others how you feel, and someone will surely understand. If Calystegia is about bonds, then you bring to it what bonds mean to you. I know that might be scary for you. It might mean you'll hear a lot of cruel, hurtful things from people. But didn't you choose to get onstage to convey what you feel!?"

"That's right, Kanami-chan! That new song of yours, Caly... Cal... What was it again? Whatever! I want to hear you sing what's-it-called!" Teddie added.

"There's no point in lying. You just need to be yourself, and show other people who you really are," Yukiko backed up what Yu was saying.

"Who... I really am..." Kanami muttered.

"Kanami... I know it might be hard to see. Kayane has a hard time allowing himself to express how he really feels. But both him and I care about you. We want to help and support you. He worked hard to help you, didn't he? And he always was able to help when you didn't understand what your voice coach was trying to tell you," I tell her after a moment.

"Kayane-senpai... Rise-senpai too. He was always able to break it down so that I could understand it. He was... also the one that protected me back then. I was so hurt and, he took on all the responsibility of finding Yuko-san's body. And Rise-senpai... you've always helped encouraged me. I..." Kanami seemed unsure what to say.

"We're all connected now. Sometimes the bonds you already have are the hardest to see," Naoto said.

"Kanami!"

A few people are calling out her name as others come rushing onto the stage. It was Ochimizu-san and the rest of the Kanamin Kitchen girls.

"Wait, why'd you come here!? We told you to stay where it's safe!" Yosuke called out.

"Like we'd ever cower and hide when Kanami's in danger! It would've been cooler if we were the first ones to show up, though," Tamami said as her and the other girls come more to the front so Kanamin could see them easily.

"Ah-yep! Kanners and us gon' be goooood friends from now on!" Sumomo smiled.

"Friends...?" Naoto asked.

"We got together and talked things over. Until now, we were nothing more than background players in the group to get people hyped up about Kanami. It's odd, now that I think about it. We're all with the same agency, and about the same age, but we kept our distance from each other. I think we were probably scared," Tomoe said. "We all thought we'd come under fire if we showed our true selves."

"But things will be different going forward. We've decided that we are going to change," Nozomi interjected next. "We will become genuine friends. Like, erm... you're group."

"Like us!?" I find myself surprised.

"That's right. And as their producer, I'm going to stay with them through it all," Ochimizu added.

"So Kanami, we can't have you like this!" Tamami called out.

"Kanami-san!" Nozomi said.

"Kanami!" Tomoe said her name next.

"Kanners!" Sumomo had pretty much decided that to be Kanami's nickname.

"You see, Kanami-san. Your feelings are getting through. Not everything you've done until now was a lie. No matter how insignificant it felt at the time, you were creating bonds too," Yu reinforced it to Kanami.

"Sumomin, Tamamin, Tomomin, Nozomin... I'm so happy, I finally have friends," Kanami smiled. "All of you... you're my precious friends..."

Then in a burst of light, the ribbons snapped, and she fell from where she was suspended. The four girls and Ochimizu were there to catch her as she got on the ground.

"Kanami! Are you okay!?" Tamami asked.

"Yeah... You came for me, after all!" Kanami smiled.

The rest of us moved to block Kanami and the girls from the Shadow Kanami and the fake ones that were watching.

"Alright, you... You're gonna pay for everything you've done!" Yosuke added.

"Heh, we gotcha now. Playtime's over, so get your ass back in her, dammit!" Kanji assumed that this was in fact Kanami's Shadow.

Instead the Shadow laughed, "Ahahahahaha! You silly things... You've got this all wrong. She was the one who yearned for me. It was so nice inside her. And now you've gone and poisoned her too. Well, that's fine. If she doesn't need it, then I'll just go take someone else's bond. After all... aren't you forgetting someone?"

My heart started to race but Kayane was descending from above... ribbons encased around him. But something was wrong. The others before were more restricted... his wasn't. He was hung, but his eyes were closed, and he was limp, unresponsive.

"Kayane!" I screamed.

"What's going on here? This thing really isn't Kanami-chan's Shadow," Chie said.

"Hrmmm... you might be right. It doesn't smell like a Shadow at all," Teddie confirmed what we had all were suspicious about. "What are you?"

The visage of Kanami chuckled, "Me? I'm one who yearns. The manifestation of the eternal bonds that people desire."

"The what of what...!?" Kanji shook his head.

"What I want to know is, why do you resist me so much? What people truly want is to connect without any pain or suffering," the visage tone becomes more flat.

"Something's not right... She's acting different all of a sudden," Yukiko warned.

"I don't need people like you. I don't need anyone who doesn't yearn for me. That's why you won't get Kayane back. The life he's lived, what he has experienced, there isn't anyone here that doesn't crave my bonds more than him. He's all I need. You aren't needed. It's all your fault that everyone else has been poisoned by this 'true self' idea you've been talking about. That's fine, though. Everyone will understand if they connect with me," the false Kanami suddenly releases a wave of power causing the world to shake. A black haze pours out as giant ribbons burst out all across the stadium and binding anything it can get its hands on. "Now... look upon me. Behold the bonds you yearn made manifest... The most perfect bond you could desire!"

Her form changed... a massive form and at the center... was a form that looked distinctly like Osada Yuko, but in a crucifix like state and a metal frame that supported her. Behind it wre several angel like wings and ribbons that went out in every direction. "Hahahahaha...! Well? Isn't it amazing? Isn't it divine? You'll learn soon enough. If you just abandon who you are, anyone can become someone that everyone loves. Just learn it from Kayane here."

The ribbons that held Kanami moved him next to her... and he then... merged with her! The form changed when this happen as a flash of blinding light caused me to look away. Looking back... Kayane appeared in front of the form of Osada Yuko... her arms wrapped around him.

"KAYANE! LET HIM GO!" I called out as a panic began to rise in me. Was this my fault? Had it been that difficult for him? Did I only hurt him all this time? Kayane? Had I failed you again? I'm not good enough, am I?

"You think you have control over Kayane!? You are the one that doesn't understand anything!" Yosuke yelled.

"Kayane-senpai has always had it rough, but we've always been there for him and that ain't ever gonna change!" Kanji added.

"He's always been supportive of us. There is no way I would ever let him fall into these fake bonds of yours!" Chie said.

"Again and again I've failed him, but I won't give up!" Naoto threw out her own screams of frustration. "No matter how many times I fail, or what I have to do, I will always come to save Kayane!"

"Kay-chan knows a lot about the world that I don't. That's why I called him sensei. I won't let you take him away before I can learn more of the ways of seduction!" Teddie added in his own... support. What have you been saying to him Kayane?

"It's because of Kayane that we all realized things about ourselves we might not have realized. He showed us how important expression is, and how harmful it can be to keep things to yourself. Yu and I might have had more problems in our relationship if not for him. I owe him a lot for the advice he's given me about the Inn too and made me realize what I want to do to move forward into the future. The bonds we all share with him are not that weak!" Yukiko yelled.

"He isn't just anyone to us," Yu said stepping forward. "We might now fully understand the pain that Kayane has, or what he's gone through, but we're all committed to being by his side and supporting him. That is what true bonds mean. It isn't something you turn away from when things get tough. It is in those moments where are bonds become truly tested and we will not fail."

Then pushing their way through was Kanami and the others, "All this time I was running away, and never got a clear understanding of what was around me. But Kayane-senpai helped me through all of it. He pretended not to remember to protect me, and then he was always helping me with my songs. He cared about someone like me who couldn't see it. That's why I'm going to show you what bonds are like for me. My friend here all saved me, and we'll do it for Kayane too!"

"Yeah, he helped out all of us girls!" Sumomo called out.

"He tried to protect us when you took us," Tamami added. "We've all wanted to know him better, and we aren't going to let you get in the way!"

All of the Kanamin Kitchen girls added in their support. I found myself regaining my composure and stepped around everyone and towards the entity before us, "Kayane has suffered all his life because of people that used him, never saw him as an individual, blamed him for things he had no control over. His Uncle abused him, blaming him for the death of Kayane's Father. And over the years of growing up in that environment he grew to hate himself, thought less than nothing about himself. When we met him in the TV world, he couldn't even believe that people would come to rescue him. Especially people that didn't know him. All this time, even as I've grown close to him, have grown to love him with all my heart and soul... I know he struggles to believe it. He's afraid that one day I'm going to be disappointed in him, that I'll leave him. But I'm going to show you, along with everyone else here that are bond, our true bond is not that weak! Even it is hard, we'll take one day at a time, and I will show him the strength of our bond!"

I started the music. I needed a song that conveyed the strength of bonds. One that could show this entity a truth that it seeks to hide from. That had to be the best way to separate Kayane from the thing. I just had to stay strong and show her the truth about bonds. This was a song that had come to my mind, and so it was the music I started to play. I didn't tell the others I would be the one to dance, I just stepped forward to do just that. This was a new song for Synchronicity. One that I sang alone. It was written mostly by Kayane but it was made by words and feelings I wanted for a song. This was the culmination of that effort. The music starts slow, and a somber melody, and then would grow and change along with the words to show the change in the message. But I wasn't going to simply dance. I would add my real voice to this song, and truly pour my emotions into this performance.

"Harrowing days
Life is not easy on your own
You know
Surviving day to day without hope
But I know
I know, you don't want it that way

Solitude of darkness
I rush to pull you from its depths
Bring you into the sun
It's not enough
Let me show you how to live"

The music transitioned and the tempo began to speed up as the somber melody grew to be more welcoming and, in a word, happy. When I first met Kayane, I thought that I had figured things out in my life. I thought I knew what I wanted, and where I could focus my attention for the future. I had been so wrong. I had always been so focused on myself. How could I make friends? How could I be happy? Did anyone see who I truly was? It was only the beginning of my goals, what my future should truly be about. Things we do in life are inherently selfish because we have to be. Being happy with ourselves and our own life is important part of being able to help others. Yu-senpai and the others helped me find myself, to be happy with my life and proud of what I had done and accomplished. And it was only because of that I was able to help Kayane. To start helping him, I had a starting point. But it was obvious that I had to be stronger emotionally to truly help him.

"No longer lost in the night
Don't worry the day is not blinding bright
Come away from the cold
For life together will only grow warm
Time to learn of things you've missed
You won't be alone
I'll be there for this new journey
Warmth, friendship and love
All these you'll feel and know
For those harrowing days are no more"

Promises are easily made to others. We say things to make people we care for happy. Things like, I'll always be with you. I will support you. But the real test comes in time. The true test of relationships and emotions comes months later, sometimes years. For me and Kayane, it feels like it's been years since we met. What we've faced is more than what any couple of our ages should have to deal with. And yet we persevered, saw through them. I know we will get past this.

"Harrowing days
Leave them in the past
You know
The future is unpredictable
But I know
I know, I can show you how to smile each day

Solitude of darkness
I will always keep it away
Pull you into my arms
Give you my love
Live together along with me"

This has been the continued struggle ever since the two of us started dating. We're both new to dating and there were problems I didn't consider we might have. Who would have thought that intimacy would be a pain point for me? I guess that has to do with being an idol for so long. I was used to hearing things about what guys want to do with me. Or even a few fans that got touchier than was allowed at fan events. Maybe I had an unconscious thought that Kayane might be the same way. Or at the very least want to put his hands on me in some capacity. But weeks went by, a month, longer and he didn't so much as brush a hand near me. I don't know why I had expected it to be different. I think it was because I had assumed that the physical aspect of the relationship was just going to happen. But it isn't that simple. Kayane had witnessed his childhood friend being sexually abused, and so he wasn't comfortable with that kind of expression. He felt that it was wrong.

Suddenly I was having a problem I hadn't considered I might have in a relationship. A lack of physical intimacy. But maybe it was because I had been attracted to Kayane from the beginning. I know that after we had rescued him, I took every opportunity to be close to him. More so than even Yu-senpai. I thought I had been in love with Yu-senpai then, but it all changed when I met Kayane. I found out a lot about him so quickly. That he had been a fan of me as Risette. But he wasn't just some ordinary fan, but he had also been responsible for me getting the chance to be an idol in the first place. And yet, as much as our relationship moved forward and my emotions moved from just attraction to love, there was a growing rift in what we both expected from the relationship.

However, the continued struggles with Shadows and the incidents that have happened, along with us deciding to enter the music industry has constantly pushed our own struggles in our relationship to the side. We've kissed a few times now. And he's become comfortable with some physical contact, but he still doesn't necessarily seek that connection. No, we still had a way to go. And I wasn't going to give up. I realize after all this time that the physical side of our relationship might be important but ultimately that isn't what would keep us together in the long run. No, we connect at a much more intimate level beyond that. Talking to him, and just being with him made me happier than I could properly describe. So, I wasn't going to give up. Slowly, we would overcome the struggles of our relationship. I will make Kayane happy. I know I could.

"No longer lost in the night
Don't worry the day is not blinding bright
Come away from the cold
For life together will only grow warm
Time to learn of things you've missed
You won't be alone
I'll be there for this new journey
Warmth, friendship and love
All these you'll feel and know
For those harrowing days are no more

Harrowing days
Solitude of darkness
You aren't welcome here
I won't let you walk alone
I won't let those days return
For I will be here
To pull you back to light and love
No matter what may come
No matter what may come"

The song ended and I spun to a stop and put my hands up in a ending pose to the dance I was doing alongside the song I sung. I felt the energy I had put into it truly coming through as my Persona amplified those feeling and conveyed it directly towards the Shadow being that also imprisoned Kayane. The form started to break apart.

"Nnngh... This can't be...! I don't want to see it... I don't want to understand! No... I won't accept this!" The Shadow, with the image of Yuko now distorted as the form contorts and writhing as if in agony over the thoughts, I had expressed towards it. It finally came to a stop. "Heh... Hehehehehe! Ahahahahahahahahaha...! No, this won't be the end!"

"You're right," The fake Shadow of Kayane was now floating on the side of the Shadows form. "There is still something I need you to do."

"Huh!?" The Shadow form looks shocked as the fake Kayane snapped his fingers. This time the environment changed, twisting, distorting as chains appeared and then began to move in all directions, wrapping the Shadow and keeping Kayane bound tightly to its form. "What are you...!?"

"Consider this a gift from a fan," the fake Shadow grinned. "You sometimes must use more force to show people the truth of your ways. The real benefits of your just cause. Kayane is the one who wants this bond the most. To be accepted and to be as people see him. That way no one can ever be harmed. The only one that needs to suffer, is him."

"You bastard!" Kanji called out and jumped forward to try and hit the fake Shadow, but chains immediately blocked his path and forced him to the ground.

"Kanji, he's still protected by the rules of this world," Yu reminded him.

However, the Shadow form of Yuko and Kayane seemed to be screaming as they were suddenly forced through the big projection screen at the top of the stage, disappearing. The fake Shadow of Kayane turned to us, "Come now. Won't you entertain me a bit more?" He laughed as he jumped up and into the screen as well.

"No!" my eyes widened. Just what was he doing? What was the goal here?

"Unbelievable..." Naoto said as the image on the screen suddenly shifted. A massive being with what looked to be made of several people, formed on a colossal scale also had what looked to be ribbons or rope connected to it's wrist... but the wrist had some sort of bracelet? No, it had a distinct shape... it was like that of a... magatama.

"Foolish beings... Grovel in pain and suffering. You have chosen to part from me," the form spoke.

"What is that...!? It's huge..." Yosuke said.

"Part...? Who are you!?" Chie asked.

"I am Mikuratana-no-Kami... The collective will of all who yearn for bonds..." it responded.

"Collective will?" Yu shook his head. "It's just like Kagatsuchi. Or even Izanami. Another God like being created from the human unconscious."

"And yet another one that the fake Shadow of Kayane is using to further his plans," I shook my head. "But this thing is no collective will. It's a fake who wants bonds in name only! Kayane doesn't crave anything so superficial!"

Mikuratana-no-Kami chuckled, "Say what you will. I no longer have any cause to treaty with you. This is a portion of the sea of souls which has always existed within mankind's hearts. Therefore... even should I discard this; it is simple to create a new stage elsewhere."

"The sea of souls...!? Then this must be the same world inside people's hearts that the TV world is," Yosuke theorized.

"Hrmmm... So that's what this place is. I thought it seemed similar to my world, and that's because you made it without permission in my backyard. Talk about illegal construction! I'm gonna file so many complaints!" Teddie was frustrated.

"So it was you who created an entrance here on the LMB website, too," Yu spoke up.

"Hmhmhm... that is correct," Mikuratana-no-Kami was amused by us putting all the pieces together. "I created this world after being called to by those who wish for bonds. Those who yearned for me were summoned to this festival. I simply used that woman to serve as my host. I made good use of her. She was most convenient for gathering hearts who yearned for me."

"If that's true then that means you took advantage of Kayane as well. Leveraging your 'allies' to gather even more to you. It didn't matter how you got them, as long as they yearned for your bonds," I shook my head.

"Indeed, my choices were about reaching an optimal audience that yearned for me. Who I used was just a matter of choice," Mikuratana-no-Kami agreed.

"I-I know it was my fault for wanting it too, but for you to exploit Yuko-san's song..." Kanami spoke up.

"Her song? It was useful indeed. It seems to have originally been meant to convey a meaning which the listener would appreciate. But I had no such need of this. For my purposes, it was enough to use it as a way to convey yearning for my bond, which the listener would be seized with," Mikuratana-no-Kami explained.

"So, by reversing the song, which normally would have expressed the emotions of the singer, it became a way to force your own emotions onto the listener," Naoto words were laced with anger.

"Forget about that," Chie cut in. "We need to get to Kayane-senpai!"

"Hahaha... All is as it should be. The concept of quarrelling has no place within my bond. Struggle all you will in your own realm. I will remain here to provide peace to those who long to bond with me," Mikuratana-no-Kami was smug.

"You dick! So the second things ain't goin' your way anymore, you just ignore us!? Get down here, dammit!" Kanji yelled at the screen.

But we weren't out of options, were we? No, there had to be something. This place was where intentions, emotions and expression were amplified. So more than likely there had to be something that I could do. Could it be so simple? I stepped forward again, "Let me try something."

"Eh? But what's left to try against something like that!?" Naoto seemed surprised and unsure what I was about to do.

"My Persona has always specialized in communication. I have an idea. I'm going to see if I can communicate everyone's hearts to it. I'm not sure this'll work, and I don't know what the result will be. But if we don't do something, it's going to get away. And I'll be damned if I let it or that fake Shadow take Kayane away from me," I turn to the others.

"Do it, Rise," Yu said without hesitation.

"We'll all be right here to help. So, connect all of us together," Kanami looks at me with determination. "I owe Kayane-senpai so much. Please."

I nodded but met eyes with Ochimizu.

"Please, get Nanase's son back. I don't want to see that pain in her eyes again," Ochimizu bowed to me.

Yeah, I imagine back then that Kayane's Mom had been in so much pain after losing Miyuki. And on top of that Kayane was suffering from the same loss and dealing with the change in his life. It had to be hard for the two of them. They were trying to find their place in the world again. I look towards them and then summon Kouzeon as I spread out my power, connecting all of us, one by one. I had to do more than just connect words, but thoughts, feelings and everything in between. First, Kanami, who I felt her overwhelming sympathy and heartache over these events, but also a confidence, a determination to make things right. Then one by one I brought the other girls of Kanamin's Kitchen to the connection, each one bringing with it their own myriad of emotions. Each one reaffirming just how important Kayane was to not just me, but to everyone here. This became more obvious as I connected the others... Yu,, Yosuke, Chie, Yukiko, Teddie, Kanji... Naoto... Naoto? I paused when I felt her emotions come into the mix. I looked to her, our eyes met.

"R-Rise... I..." Naoto was blushing. "I'm sorry."

I shook my head, "You fell in love with him too, huh?" Naoto loved Kayane, but there was a myriad of emotions that came attached to it. Jealousy, shame, conflicting emotions and struggles related to another individual in our group. But most of all was her desire to see him smile and happy. But in there was Naoto's feelings towards me, and they were just as strong as they were towards Kayane. "How could I blame you? He's an amazing guy, even if he doesn't see it."

"He really is. That's why we're going to do this," Naoto smiled.

I nodded and reached upward with our connected hearts. With the swirl of emotions, we wouldn't allow Mikuratana-no-Kami to get away from us. And we connected. A blinding light came from around us, pulling all of us into another space. With our collective thoughts we had managed to arrive... and before us was the massive being of Mikuratana-no-Kami. Not just it though... as we could also see... a throne? Made of chains and sitting on it was Kayane. Strapped to it, and what looked to be in pain... he sat limp, leaning to one side of the throne.

"Um... where are we?" Kanami asked.

This place was as if we were in the middle of space, an empty void with only stars littering the place around us. And we stood on a stage, with the ground a light blue hexagonal pattern with no place else to go. But plenty of room for all of us to move. This would have to do. This was the same rules as the Midnight Stage. We would have to give off the best performance in order to get through. The only thing I couldn't get a read of was the location of the fake Shadow that had forced the true form of Mikuratana-no-Kami to appear, and pulled Kayane out of our reach. And now once more he was still just beyond my reach. I needed to focus here... to get him back.

"Wait, what the...!? What is this!? Is this thing... a Persona!?" Chie is saying and looking down at our feet.

I nodded, "Kouzeon is here for us. Giving us the stage and means to truly express ourselves and take full advantage of the nature of this world. Our unifying emotions definitely was a factor."

"Dude... this thing's huge," Kanji muttered.

"Everyone's desire to express their feelings gave Rise's Persona the power to carry out that wish. It fits with the nature of the world," Naoto stood at my side. "We'll show Mikurakana-no-Kami the real feeling of true bonds."

"What foolishness... Though you are but a child of flesh, you dare step into my realm and bring me quarrel. You poisons know not your place," Mikurakana-no-Kami spoke.

"We're not here to fight you. All we want to do is stop you," Yukiko said.

"That's right! You took off with Kay-chan before we were even done talking!" Teddie called out.

Mikurakana-no-Kami chuckled, "I am the bond humans yearn for made manifest. Nothing you do can ever reach me. Be bound and dance for all eternity." It played the song of Calystegia in reverse, and it definitely seemed to be more powerful than ever before. But if that was right then the reverse should remain true.

"Heh, that ain't gonna happen. We came all the way to this lousy world to take you out and bring back senpai!" Kanji called out.

"Yeah! It doesn't matter how big it is. We're gonna make it understand how we feel from head to toe!" Kanami nodded.

"Don't worry, Kayane-senpai! Just wait a little longer. We will do this and pour all of our hearts into this dance!" Yukiko yelled.

"You claim to be the bond humans yearn for, but yet you don't understand them. Why do you think music exists? We can inspire and motivate people to be better, to reach out and claim the life they want for themselves. Even if it is for the brief moment, we give people the strength to move forward! We'll show you what that means. We'll show you what it means to have a true bond!" I turn as Yu took center stage. I started the song. Having already decided on one that everyone here would know. It was a song that was supposed to be a combined performance.

"Now I face out, I hold out
I reach out to the truth of my life
Seeking to seize on the whole moment yeah!

Yeah naked truth lies, only if you realize
Appearing in nobody's eyes, till they sterilize
Stop the guerrilla warfare to keep it fair

Bro change your rage to a smarter greater cause
You know the stake is high stardom is near
Those who sympathized you died, Killers pass you by
Do not waste your time hating flirting guys
Use your might to AIs to do justice to them all"

This song wasn't one that Kayane and I wrote. It was one meant to be a introduction, and a combined piece between Kanamin Kitchen and Synchronicity would perform together. As such we all knew the dance and the song. We were able to synchronize the dance and unify our feelings and emotions. We worked together, dancing together, moving around the stage and all smiling. Yeah, this was what I wanted Kayane to experience. This moment. When you are on stage performing with the people you care for. People that get and understand you, that want to be with you. This was something that even I hadn't really experienced until now. And all of that was because of my friends. And because of Kayane.

"Now I face out, I hold out
I reach out to the truth of my life
Seeking to seize on the whole moment to now break away!

Oh God let me out, Can you let me out?
Can you set me free from this dark inner world?
Save me now last beat in the soul

Yeah, flooded apple pie
Left until somebody cries
Goddamn always talking shizzle behind man get left behind
Come on and quit that shizzle tell me what you really want
Louder ladies, I can feel nothing in the tone of your voice
Closer it gets y'all know how everything reflects
Your soul and spirits lost, pretends gets rejects
Look man, you are one who actually you detest
I guess they're good reasons why you can't see next"

I spun around and moved with Kanami, the two of us sharing a smile. Then I just as quickly turned to face Naoto who also smiled as we moved with the music. I reached out and took her hand as we both turned and saw Kayane, chained in the distance. The two of us shared emotions, and for a brief moment the two of us were of like mind. We just wanted Kayane to be happy. We both loved him for different reasons. And while I certainly would never give up Kayane, I understood all too well what it means to fall for someone. That was an experience I thought I had known before Kayane, but that hadn't been true at all. Still, Naoto sas supportive of him and I, even if it had to be painful for her. But she also had conflicting emotions and feelings when it came to Kanji, and that might be part of her problem too. Love was hard. But it didn't mean it wasn't worth the effort and pain.

We moved in perfect sync as we then split back into the others as the performance continued. The song was upbeat and fast moving. And that was why it was a good song for us to show the effort and labor of our hard work. This performance showed what happens when people come together, work together. But a true performance takes on a whole different shape when people truly understand each other. And we did.

"Now I face up, I make head
I bleach out cock and bull of this globe
Thinking and seeing on the whole moment Now It's on!
Oh God it's enough! Are you satisfied?
It's already disgusting to dance with your palm
Save me now, last beat in the soul"

Yu-senpai spun me around before leaving me to dance in the center in the stage. I moved quickly in a highly difficult dance step that I had practiced again and again. But it was missing one person. Kayane. I could only look at the constricted form of him while I did this step. Thinking of all the times we had tripped up, laughed or ended up in a mess on the floor because I had knocked him over, or he had done the same to me. That laugh of his made my stomach do flips. If I ever needed to remember how much he meant to me, it was always the little moments that reinforced it. No matter the struggles we had, it was those genuine moments where Kayane would be lost in our work together, to the music and dance. His worries and cares left behind, and we just had us and the moment. No, I wouldn't charge this dance with longing or fear, it was anticipation and happiness of the times we had ahead of us.

We would dance together on stage. We would stride into the future, side by side. And no matter what, we would come out on top. And I will see Kayane smile again. I loved him so much. What I wanted him to experiences was still ahead. We wouldn't be denied that future.

"Now I face up, I make head
I bleach out cock and bull of this globe
Thinking and seeing on the whole moment Now It's on!

Oh God it's enough! Are you satisfied?
It's already disgusting to dance with your palm
Save me now, last beat in the soul

Now I face up, I make head
I bleach out cock and bull of this globe
Thinking and seeing on the whole moment Now It's on!

Oh god it's enough! Are you satisfied?
It's already disgusting to dance with your palm
Save me now last beat in the soul"

The song ended and everyone on the stage struck a pose. The music poured together as everyone that could use their Persona to amplify our feelings and send them to Mikuratana-no-Kami. There was no hiding from this. This place and our passion as well as our Persona's made this possible.

"So this... is a bond..." Mikuratana-no-Kami spoke. "What you wished to convey without fear of pain..."

"We're all different. So there's always going to be times we might clash with each other. But if we can overcome that and accept each other, then that's a true bond," I say with a smile, feeling the sweat rolling down my cheek from the intense nature of that performance.

"That's why we'll never run," Yu added. "We'll face each other as many times as we need, knowing that someday we'll come to understand each other."

"Your words ring true. Indeed, I have grasped your feelings as well. However, do not forget. The voices who yearn fro me will not disappear. One day, we may face one another again," Mikuratana-no-Kami warned us. "Farewell, dancers of bonds. It was a marvelous festival."

Everything around us started to go bright, including the chains around Kayane and the makeshift throne. We felt us disappearing and then... our environment shifted, and we were... on stage?

It was dark... late at night. "It's the stage," I mutter as I adjust my eyesight. Then I see him... on the far side is the collapsed form of Kayane. "Kayane!" I go rushing towards him.

"No, wait!"

I am pulled back as the chains from before appear blocking my way. Yu-senpai had stopped me.

"My, oh my, yet another entity stopped by you and your friends. Just as I hoped. Fortunate for me," the fake of Shadow of Kayane appeared as those chains wrapped around Kayane's wrist and pulled him up to his feet. "Time to wake up."

Kayane's eyes seemed to half open, but his eyes were unfocused and hazy.

"Kayane!" I called out.

He didn't seem to react to my voice though. The lights for the area suddenly flipped on followed by opening doors and other people rushing down to the stairs.

"Oh? It seems everyone is here," the Shadow looked around. "Truly if it wasn't for all of your struggles then this moment would not have been possible. Kirijo Mitsuru, we should thank your Grandfather. If it wasn't for him then Kayane's father wouldn't have been so bitterly disposed of. That is how all of this got started after all. Hmm, perhaps that isn't true. The Nanjo Group would like be more at fault."

Mitsuru was among the people that came rushing in and onto the stage, "The Nanjo Group? Who are you? You know far too much to be just any Shadow."

"I suppose it doesn't matter what you people believe. Only what he does," he laughed, and an unpleasant chill ran up my spine as he motioned to Kayane. He was so out of it... he looked... something was wrong with him.

"What did you do to him!?" I demanded.

Then the other Shadows appeared on either side... the fake Shadow of myself, and then Shadow Hamuko and Minato. Four of them in total. It was the fake Shadow of myself that moved close to Kayane's side and put her hand on his chest while he was constrained and didn't even register the touch.

"All of you are to blame, pushing such hard expectations on my Kay-chan. All we did was tear those expectations away. And back to what he knows will happen to your shallow relationships anyway. He doesn't need to continue to face himself like all of you," the fake me said.

"You all forced that change on him. You looked at him as some charity case to be fixed. Isn't that right? When you went to the TV world to rescue him, you all pitied him. You thought about oh how rough it was for him. All set to enforce your friendship and way of thinking of him. As if that would make him happy," Shadow Minato was the one who spoke.

"As if any of you have a right to what is best for him!" Yu yelled in response. "Now let him go!"

The fake Shadow of Kayane considered it, "Hmm, well I don't see why not." Then a flick of his wrist and the chained up Kayane moved away from the Shadows and through the air towards us. Not even thinking I jumped into the path and caught him, even though the force of it made me fall to the ground and slid to a stop. My adrenaline had kicked in, so I didn't feel anything from the impact, I simply laid Kayane on the ground and checked him. His heart was beating, but his eyes were still glazed open... he wasn't looking at anything, and he didn't respond to my touch. I ignored my surroundings and focused completely on him, knowing that the others would cover me.

"Kayane, Kayane, please, are you okay?" I put my hand to his face, something felt wrong. I could feel it all through me. A panic was rising.

"R-r-ise..." Kayane's voice was almost non-existent. But I felt his words through my Persona Kouzeon. I was unconsciously using my power to try and determine what was wrong.

I knelt down, placing my forehead against his, "I'm right here, Kayane. I'm sorry, I'm sorry I wasn't faster. Please, come back to me... I..."

"Your voice won't reach him," it was the fake Kayane who spoke. His voice louder, ensuring I heard him. I clutched Kayane to myself before looking back. "Who better to understand him than me? After all I am him."

"You are not his Shadow!" I yelled. But then he moved in my arms. I was shocked when suddenly Kayane got to his feet. I got up and put myself in front of him, looking in his eyes. "Kayane?"

His eyes didn't look any better. But... How did he have the strength?

"...-'re no... ...e," Kayane mumbled. "Yo... not."

"Oh? What is this? Standing on your feet already? Watch what you say, me. Words will always have consequences," the fake Shadow grinned.

"You... aren't..."

"NO! RISE STOP HIM!" Naoto screamed.

I was already moving to do just that but, those chains descended in a moment between seconds as if it had been there the whole time... and it pulled me away. My hand tried to hold on to Kayane, but I couldn't.

"You aren't me. You were never me!" Kayane yelled out, his wide stare unfocused, but his words loud.

"NOOOO!" I cried struggling against the chains.

A dark haze poured from Kayane as those chains suddenly moved in, wrapping around him again. Everyone was yelling as the chains constricted me. More so it lifted Kayane back up as everyone stood unable to do anything as the fake Shadow moved towards him. I realized that everyone was being constricted. No one could do anything. We were no longer in the Midnight Stage. Most of us would find it too difficult to manifest our Persona's here. And the ones who could were definitely some of the first that were restrained. But I had been so focused on Kayane that I lost sight of the whole situation. I screwed up.

"Months of work has led to this moment," the fake held out his hand and it was as if he forcefully extracted the Shadow from Kayane and absorbed it into himself. "Who would think that such a power could even be made manifest. Now with this I can enjoy a paradise all my own. One that this world will become. A world where people will lash out in anger, violence, to give in to their base instincts."

"How? How can you steal his Shadow and his power? How can you make him deny himself? Who the hell are you?" Naoto demanded.

He laughed, "I am the collective will of mankind's penchant for violence. That ought to be all you need to know. Not that it matters. Your world is about to change. If you want to try and defy your fate, then I'm sure you'll know where to come to. I know you will. I look forward to our final showdown... seekers of truth."

And then as if he had never been there... he disappeared... along with the other fake Shadows and then last... the chains.

In shock, I watched as Kayane fell back to the ground. No longer constrained I stumbled to him. I pulled him over so I could look at his face.

"Kayane? Kayane?" I cried, feeling tears rolling down. "What happened to you? What did they do? Did you suffer again? I was too late. I couldn't save you... I couldn't..."

Strong hands grabbed me and pulled me away from Kayane. I heard people talking, but my eyes stayed on Kayane. People moved to his side. They were checking his pulse, doing medical checks. They weren't giving up on him. But... it all was too late. Everything happened just as that fake wanted it to go. And we knew it wasn't his Shadow... and yet... by making Kayane deny his own Shadow... his Persona. They used the world of the Midnight Stage... the power that amplified expression... they did something horrible to him. Kayane. My Kayane.

"This is an emergency. All remaining Shadow Operatives are to report here, immediately. Kikuno, make any and all necessary arrangements to expedite the process. We'll be transferring Ikakure to the hospital," this voice was Mitsuru. Despite my tears falling, the sudden set of orders calmed me and focused my thoughts.

"Mitsuru," it was Hamuko that approached. "It's him."

"Are you sure?" Mitsuru turned toward her.

"What are you talking about? Do you know who that Shadow is?" Naoto walked up.

Hamuko nodded, "His methods and motive match up with our last encounter. Impersonating someone's Shadow, manipulating a human to achieve a power or something he couldn't do on his own. And aim to undo other's actions. His name is Nyarlathotep."


A/N:

The lyrics for Reach Out to the Truth are always going to be weird. Then again it is like that for a lot of the full english worded songs in the Persona series. And also kind of the charm of them too. But as the final dance song I wanted it to be the same as the original game. So, I wanted to emphasize the emotions behind it than the song itself.

Anyway! We made it to the end of Dancing All Night! Sorta! Clearly it isn't over yet. With our last reveal, people that are familiar with my other fan fic Momento Umbrae might have already figured out who the fake Shadow was a while ago. If you are one of those people then I commend you. Things are about to ramp up quickly in the next chapter.

We are now on a fast track to the end of the story. And after writing this story for so long it is kind of crazy to think that we are approaching its conclusion. I can't wait to see what you guys think of the last section of this story. Please, let me know what you think of this chapter. And I hope to have the next chapter up soon. Thanks for your time as always.